Dotcom mansion has $15m rival with secret corridors

A new $15 million mansion with lavish furnishings, secret corridors and an apartment-sized dressing room is for sale in the neighbourhood where internet tycoon Kim Dotcom lives.

The opulent double-level property at 170 O'Brien Rd, Coatesville - complete with floodlit tennis court, heated 25m pool, eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a theatre room and presidential office suite - has recently been completed, six years after planning began.

Marketed as a "private and magnificent country estate", the 1260sq m home sits on 2ha of land in the neighbourhood that is becoming a hotbed of high-end property.

Agent Michael Boulgaris said the property cost $10 million to build and had an asking price of $15 million. Built for Eduard and Elena Gonzur, it had been attracting a lot of interest in its first week on the market.

Mr Boulgaris said the Gonzurs' circumstances had changed since they began planning the home and they now intended to move overseas.

"Because it took so long because it was such a big project, their life circumstances changed. They wanted to keep it new so it was more appealing to potential buyers."

Designed by Hulena Architects, the property features a double-storey foyer, large fireplaces, formal and informal living and dining areas and a top floor "dedicated to the master of the house".

"With a separate lounge adjacent to the imperial office fit for a president, the east wing portrays a Hollywood dressing room, an enormous bedroom suite, including en suite bathroom finished in natural stone."

The home also includes a gym, sauna, video surveillance and a guest wing above the six-car garage with its own kitchen facilities.

It is fully furnished with Baker and Henredon furniture.

"Anyone who understands quality will see the finish on it, it's a pretty amazing finish," said Mr Boulgaris.

"The majority of the flooring is solid oak and Marie Antoinette herringbone. It took several months just to lay the floor. It's got secret, hidden corridors in the house ...

"Someone with the money would appreciate having that sort ofquality."

Mr Boulgaris said the property looked over the surrounding countryside - and the view included a glimpse of the Dotcom property in nearby Mahoenui Rd.